⚠️ Archived Content
This page relates to the 2019–2024 National Park Management Plan, which is now archived. For the latest aims and objectives, please visit the 2025–30 Management Plan landing page.
Through educational and skills-based activities inspire 3,000 young people from in and around the National Park to explore and enhance their environment each year.
How the local partners are doing on this objective
Progress: Collectively, the National Park Authority, the Bolton Abbey estate and YDMT ran curriculum based outdoor sessions with primary and secondary schools inspiring 3,847 young people to engage with nature in 2024/25. This included Generation Green 2 (a project which will connect more than 25,000 young people living in England’s most socially disadvantaged areas to nature and rural life through a host of inspiring experiences), and activities such as river investigation; navigation & survival skills; woodland investigation; arts & crafts.
Since 2018, the three organisations have provided opportunities for just under 28,000 young people.
Rationale: Connecting young people with nature is key theme of Defra’s ‘8-Point Plan for National Parks’. The recently-launched ‘25 Year Environment Plan’ set a national target for English National Park Authorities to double the number of schoolchildren they engage with directly each year, from 60,000 to 120,000. There are a number of organisations who deliver education visits and skills based activities in the National Park, including the Field Studies Council; National Trust, and Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust through their Green Futures project, which runs until 2021. Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is developing a new project National Park Curriculum and Careers, working with teachers to help them inspire their students about the National Park.
Lead partner: Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority;
Supporting partners: Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust; Field Studies Council; National Trust
Further information: Field Studies Council (Malham Tarn), Green Futures, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Cost over 5 years: £3,000,000
Funding shortfall: None
Related objectives: B4; B6; B7; F6
Ecosystem services: Biodiversity; Sense of place and inspiration
Trade-offs: None
Baseline: